Joshua 7
1 But the children of Israel committed a great trespass, and purloined [part] of the accursed thing; and Achar the son of Charmi, the son of Zambri, the son of Zara, of the tribe of Juda, took of the accursed thing; and the Lord was very angry with the children of Israel.
The Israelites, however, acted unfaithfully regarding the things devoted to destruction. Achan son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took some of what was set apart. So the anger of the LORD burned against the Israelites.
2 And Joshua sent men to Gai, which is by Baethel, saying, Spy out Gai: and the men went up and spied Gai.
Meanwhile, Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is near Beth-aven to the east of Bethel, and told them, “Go up and spy out the land.” So the men went up and spied out Ai.
3 And they returned to Joshua, and said to him, Let not all the people go up, but let about two or three thousand men go up and take the city by siege: carry not up there the whole people, for [the enemy] are few.
On returning to Joshua, they reported, “There is no need to send all the people; two or three thousand men are enough to go up and attack Ai. Since the people of Ai are so few, you need not wear out all our people there.”
4 And there went up about three thousand men, and they fled from before the men of Gai.
So about three thousand men went up, but they fled before the men of Ai.
5 And the men of Gai killed of them to the number of thirty-six men, and they pursued them from the gate, and destroyed them from the steep hill; and the heart of the people was alarmed and became as water.
And the men of Ai struck down about thirty-six of them, chasing them from the gate as far as the quarries and striking them down on the slopes. So the hearts of the people melted and became like water.
6 And Joshua tore his garments; and Joshua fell on the earth on his face before the Lord until evening, he and the elders of Israel; and they cast dust on their heads.
Then Joshua tore his clothes and fell facedown before the ark of the LORD until evening, as did the elders of Israel; and they all sprinkled dust on their heads.
7 And Joshua said, I pray, Lord, therefore has your servant brought this people over Jordan to deliver them to the Amorite to destroy us? would we had remained and settled ourselves beyond Jordan.
“O, Lord GOD,” Joshua said, “why did You ever bring this people across the Jordan to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites to be destroyed? If only we had been content to stay on the other side of the Jordan!
8 And what shall I say since Israel has turned his back before his enemy?
O Lord, what can I say, now that Israel has turned its back and run from its enemies?
9 And when the Chananite and all the inhabitants of the land hear it, they shall compass us round and destroy us from off the land: and what will you do [for] your great name?
When the Canaanites and all who live in the land hear about this, they will surround us and wipe out our name from the earth. Then what will You do for Your great name?”
10 And the Lord said to Joshua, Rise up; why have you fallen upon your face?
But the LORD said to Joshua, “Stand up! Why have you fallen on your face?
11 The people has sinned, and transgressed the covenant which I made with them; they have stolen from the cursed thing, and put it into their store.
Israel has sinned; they have transgressed My covenant that I commanded them, and they have taken some of what was devoted to destruction. Indeed, they have stolen and lied, and they have put these things with their own possessions.
12 And the children of Israel will not be able to stand before their enemies; they will turn their back before their enemies, for they have become an accursed thing: I will not any longer be with you, unless you remove the cursed thing from yourselves.
This is why the Israelites cannot stand against their enemies. They will turn their backs and run from their enemies, because they themselves have been set apart for destruction. I will no longer be with you unless you remove from among you whatever is devoted to destruction.
13 Rise, sanctify the people and tell them to sanctify themselves for the morrow: thus says the Lord God of Israel, The accursed thing is amongst you; you shall not be able to stand before your enemies, until you shall have removed the cursed thing from amongst you.
Get up and consecrate the people, saying, ‘Consecrate yourselves for tomorrow, for this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: Among you, O Israel, there are things devoted to destruction. You cannot stand against your enemies until you remove them.
14 And you shall all be gathered together by your tribes in the morning, and it shall come to pass that the tribe which the Lord shall show, you shall bring by families; and the family which the Lord shall show, you shall bring by households; and the household which the Lord shall show, you shall bring man by man.
In the morning you must present yourselves tribe by tribe. The tribe that the LORD selects shall come forward clan by clan, and the clan that the LORD selects shall come forward family by family, and the family that the LORD selects shall come forward man by man.
15 And the man who shall be pointed out, shall be burnt with fire, and all that he has; because he has transgressed the covenant of the Lord, and has wrought wickedness in Israel.
The one who is caught with the things devoted to destruction must be burned, along with all that belongs to him, because he has transgressed the covenant of the LORD and committed an outrage in Israel.’”
16 And Joshua rose up early, and brought the people by their tribes; and the tribe of Juda was pointed out.
So Joshua arose early the next morning and had Israel come forward tribe by tribe, and the tribe of Judah was selected.
17 And it was brought by their families, and family of the Zaraites was pointed out.
He had the clans of Judah come forward, and the clan of the Zerahites was selected. He had the clan of the Zerahites come forward, and the family of Zabdi was selected.
18 And it was brought man by man, and Achar the son of Zambri the son of Zara was pointed out.
And he had the family of Zabdi come forward man by man, and Achan son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, was selected.
19 And Joshua said to Achar, Give glory this day to the Lord God of Israel, and make confession; and tell me what you have done, and hide it not from me.
So Joshua said to Achan, “My son, give glory to the LORD, the God of Israel, and make a confession to Him. I urge you to tell me what you have done; do not hide it from me.”
20 And Achar answered Joshua, and said, Indeed I have sinned against the Lord God of Israel: thus and thus have I done:
“It is true,” Achan replied, “I have sinned against the LORD, the God of Israel. This is what I did:
21 I saw in the spoil an embroidered mantle, and two hundred didrachmas of silver, and one golden wedge of fifty didrachmas, and I desired them and took them; and, behold, they are hid in my tent, and the silver is hid under them.
When I saw among the spoils a beautiful cloak from Shinar, two hundred shekels of silver, and a bar of gold weighing fifty shekels, I coveted them and took them. They are hidden in the ground inside my tent, with the silver underneath.”
22 And Joshua sent messengers, and they ran to the tent into the camp; and these things were hidden in his tent, and the silver under them.
So Joshua sent messengers who ran to the tent, and there it all was, hidden in his tent, with the silver underneath.
23 And they brought them out of the tent, and brought them to Joshua and the elders of Israel, and they laid them before the Lord.
They took the things from inside the tent, brought them to Joshua and all the Israelites, and spread them out before the LORD.
24 And Joshua took Achar the son of Zara, and brought him to the valley of Achor, and his sons, and his daughters, and his calves, and his asses, and all his sheep, and his tent, and all his property, and all the people [were] with him; and he brought them to Emec Achor.
Then Joshua, together with all Israel, took Achan son of Zerah, the silver, the cloak, the bar of gold, his sons and daughters, his oxen and donkeys and sheep, his tent, and everything else he owned, and brought them to the Valley of Achor.
25 And Joshua said to Achar, Why have you destroyed us? the Lord destroy you as at this day. And all Israel stoned him with stones.
“Why have you brought this trouble upon us?” said Joshua. “Today the LORD will bring trouble upon you!” And all Israel stoned him to death. Then they stoned the others and burned their bodies.
26 And they set up over him a great heap of stones; and the Lord ceased from his fierce anger. Therefore he called the place Emecachor until this day.
And they heaped over Achan a large pile of rocks that remains to this day. So the LORD turned from His burning anger. Therefore that place is called the Valley of Achor to this day.
